Foundation

The Characteristics of the Foundation Stage Curriculum

The Early Years Foundation Stage covers children from 0-5 years old and therefore is followed closely in both the nursery and the reception classrooms.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is the statutory framework that sets the standards that all Early Years providers must meet to ensure that children learn and develop well and are kept healthy and safe. It promotes teaching and learning to ensure children are ready for school and gives children the broad range of knowledge and skills that provide the right foundation for good future progress through school and life.

The revised, simpler framework for the EYFS was published on 27 March 2012, for implementation from 1 September 2012.

It comprises of 7 developmental areas.

Prime Areas

Communication and Language

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

Physical Development

These are areas that children develop quickly in response to relationships and experience. They run through and support children’s learning in all other areas.

Specific Areas

Literacy

Mathematics

Understanding the World

Expressive Arts and Design

These are areas that include developing specific skills and knowledge.

Both the Prime and Specific areas will be taught through:

Playing and exploring

Active learning

Creating and thinking critically

A document with the aim of giving parents an overview of the EYFS Framework 2012 has been published. It illustrates how parents can support their child during the foundation years and to give parents more details about the implementation of the EYFS in their setting. It has been designed to be accessed electronically but each Foundation Stage class has a hard copy for parents to look at.